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OTTAWA — The Harper government, on the heels of last week's election victory, is poised to make one of the most important appointments of its early days as a majority government.

Auditor General Sheila Fraser's term expires May 30, and sources say the Conservative government will announce her replacement by that date.

Opposition parties will be consulted on the decision, and because the auditor general is an officer of Parliament, MPs will ultimately vote in the House of Commons on whether to approve the choice.

Since becoming auditor general in 2001, Fraser has earned a reputation as a fearless and no-nonsense spending watchdog whose credibility was strengthened by her non-partisanship.

Political critics say the choice of her successor, with another 10-year term in the job, will speak volumes about whether Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservatives are truly interested in accountability.

"If we didn't have this role or if it was compromised by someone who was partisan, our democracy in Canada would be seriously damaged," NDP MP David Christopherson said Monday. "The ability of Canadians to hold the government of whatever political stripe to account would be seriously diminished. This is one of our internal checks and balances.

"This one needs to be gotten right, not for the government, not for Parliament, but for the Canadian people. It's probably the most direct appointment that affects the lives of everyday Canadians that there is on the Hill."

Little is known about who is on the government's short list for Fraser's successor.

Christopherson, the vice-chair of the Commons' public accounts committee in the last Parliament, said he has not been consulted and that there needs to be more clarity about just how much of a role MPs will have in approving the new auditor general.

"Ten years ago, we knew when she was done," he said of Fraser's term. "Why are we within weeks of the auditor general leaving and we don't know who the replacement is?"

Ultimately, Christopherson said, MPs will make their decision based on the reputation of the next auditor general — whether the person has a partisan bent or is an experienced professional who is also a "straight-shooter."

Last October, the government provided a clue of what it was seeking when it published a job notice for the position. It said the next auditor general must have "integrity, tact, and sound judgment", and be a "team player."

Moreover, it said the person must "possess a constructive approach'' and have the capacity to anticipate the "implications" of their actions.

Christopherson said Fraser will be a tough act to follow.

"She is basically Parliament's financial sheriff. Canadians have certainly come to see Auditor General Fraser as their gal on the Hill. This is someone who is on their side, who is there to represent the ordinary taxpayer, the ordinary citizen," he said.

"Above and beyond her personal integrity, which was the greatest weapon she had, Canadians trust Sheila. They knew in their heart and in their gut that she was there for them."

During her tenure, Fraser made many headlines and produced reports that rocked the political landscape.

The most notable of her findings dealt with the Quebec sponsorship program, in which payments were made to companies for questionable work. That led to the Gomery Commission of inquiry into political kickbacks and ultimately a souring of public support for the governing Liberals and their defeat in the 2006 election.

Last year, according to newly released documents published by WikiLeaks, the U.S. government was so impressed by Fraser that it nominated her for a major position to conduct internal audits at the United Nations. She declined and asked that her nomination be removed because she wanted to complete her mandate as auditor general in Canada.

This spring, she was putting the finishing touches on her final report, which includes chapters on the contentious issue of how the Conservative government spent money on the G8 and G20 summits in Ontario last year.

The report was supposed to be tabled in Parliament in April but was delayed by the election and won't be released until the Commons is in session in June — after Fraser's departure.

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